


A Christmas Feud for the Holidays

by Ealasaid, The_Beeses_Kneeses, writeyourownstory



Series: Hallmark Channel [14]
Category: 1917 (Movie 2019)
Genre: Children, Dad Schofield, Drabble, Gen, Inspired by Hallmark Christmas Movies, Kid Fic, Not a romance, chatfic, holiday fluff, neighbor wars, prose, uncle joe - Freeform, uncle tom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:33:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28164066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ealasaid/pseuds/Ealasaid, https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Beeses_Kneeses/pseuds/The_Beeses_Kneeses, https://archiveofourown.org/users/writeyourownstory/pseuds/writeyourownstory
Summary: Rewrite of the Hallmark movie "A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado."Wherein Will's neighbor Mackenzie has a very lovely spruce tree on his property -- a tree that the mayor's son, Erinmore, thinks would be perfect for the town's annual Christmas Festival.  Will (a widower with two young daughters), his friends (Tom and Joseph Blake), and Will's other neighbor (Ben) all watch as the conflict unfolds.
Series: Hallmark Channel [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1988683
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This started from nothing . . . and went to the STARS!!!
> 
> ~Originally chatfic'd/chatstormed on December 6th!

**butler is boo:** Ok, so the hallmark movie I’ve walked in on—is about a woman in a small town in Colorado who is planning the Christmas festival and needs a huge tree for the tree lighting. And this local fire fighter has a giant spruce on his land that he refuses to let her cut down for the festival and she really really wants it. So she has to try and convince him.  
I mean, this one is different in the fact that both main protagonists are African American 🤷

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** . . . why can't they use a fake tree?

 **butler is boo:** .....it’s hallmark. They are ride or die real trees always

 **jondalar is best boy:** Bruh let that probably 100 yo tree alone. Fuck capitalism

 **butler is boo:** ☝️☝️☝️☝️  
My guess is they decide not to cut it down and light it as is and have the festival on his land or some shite

 **jondalar is best boy:** I hope so

 **butler is boo:** They always compromise 😂

 **jondalar is best boy:** The destruction of trees like that really get me heated. Like more upset than I probably should be

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** In the Hallmark rewrite, it's a joke and never brought up again

 **butler is boo:** Also the chick who wants the tree is the mayors daughter

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** . . . no  
#no

 **butler is boo:** 🙄  
How do we fix this one?  
Ok firefighter also has a daughter and is....widowed? They are always fucking widowed, never divorced in these things

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Don't want messy catfights?  
I don't know. I think this is literally, like, a 30 second conversation

 **jondalar is best boy:** Because God doesn't approve of divorces

 **butler is boo:** Oooooo. Ok. Apparently she took a picture of his tree to send to her father and accidentally posted it on the city’s social media page and now everybody thinks this tree is the one they are going to use and she has to now convince the oblivious firefighter

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** uh

 **jondalar is best boy:** ew

 **butler is boo:** This is ridiculous

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Or she could delete it off the page and post an apology

 **butler is boo:** She did it when she was half asleep and it blew up overnight

 **jondalar is best boy:** But that's tooooo haaaaard  
 _harf_

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Delete it and post an apology

 **butler is boo:** She doesn’t want to let her dad down 🙄

 **jondalar is best boy:** I was just gonna say how the fuck do you accidentally post it  
If your father is let down by that he's a bad parent

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** lolololololololol

 **butler is boo:** Well he’s the mayor so there pressure I guess 😂

 **jondalar is best boy:** Na my statement still stands  
Its a Christmas festival not a business deal

 **butler is boo:** Ooooo dude is _not_ a fan of her dad the mayor because he cut hours and pay at the fire station he works at

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Oh my god  
DELETE THE POST. PUBLISH AN APOLOGY

 **butler is boo:** Nope. Ain’t happening. She’s going the hard way  
Otherwise there wouldn’t be a movie

 **jondalar is best boy:** Of course he did  
Good this doesn't need to be a movie

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Okay  
Here's the rewrite  
The daughter is Erinmore

 **butler is boo:** 👀👀👀

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** The firefighter is Mackenzie

 **butler is boo:** 👀👀👀👀👀👀  
That is an interesting prospect

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** our happy couple (Will/????) are observing the proceedings with their friends (the other two)

 **butler is boo:** Omg  
Is this going to turn into a tree feud and will/??? Just watch the whole thing for entertainment?

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** yes  
everyone knows Erinmore hecked up and they're all just watching in ghoulish fascination as Erinmore doubles down

 **butler is boo:** Yesssssssssssssssss  
And MacKenzie is having none of Erinmore’s shit

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** The tree is, like, a landmark, too  
planted for some kid who died of scarlet fever over a century ago  
so _everyone_ knows this tree

 **jondalar is best boy:** YES THIS IS PERFECT

 **butler is boo:** IT IS

 **jondalar is best boy:** Although that reason is 

**Lt. Richards is bae:** No one took the social media post seriously, they're just like "haha wouldn't it be cool if they actually did" (implication being in some sustainable way)  
but Erinmore is tone deaf

 **jondalar is best boy:** yes yes yes

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** and thinks they actually want it cut down

 **butler is boo:** Omg  
That sounds about right  
And Mackenzie is a hard son of a bitch and not one bothers him—it’s like a rule. Erinmore ignores this.

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** ^^^  
It's not even a romance, either  
everyone knows Mackenzie and Hepburn are in the closet for each other, it's an open secret  
this is just _spite_

 **butler is boo:** 😍

 **jondalar is best boy:** YES I was thinking something like that no joke

 **butler is bae:** Will and....let’s say Ben, ~~love~~ live across the street and just watch out of their window  
And witness MacKenzie just exploding on Erinmore

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** (Lol yes live and love)

 **butler is boo:** 😂

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** 🤔 I almost like Joe/Will just cuz then there's more reason for all four to sit on the porch with popcorn

 **butler is boo:** Ok yes def—either one is good with me honestly

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** honestly I just want the four of them watching and being entertained  
Tom and Ben start a blow-by-blow satirical blog on it

 **jondalar is best boy:** If its scho and Joe tom totally got them a live laugh love sign to fuck with them

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** TOM GETS THE SIGN FOR WHOMEVER THE COUPLE IS

 **jondalar is best boy:** HE ABSOLUTELY DOES

 **butler is boo:** TOM THE LITTLE SHIT

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** **👏** 😂 **👏** 😂 **👏** 😂

 **jondalar is best boy:** He's honestly just a lil gremlin

 **butler is boo:** Ok, so Erinmore shows up that first day to Mackenzie’s place, and tries to convince him to allow the city to cut down the tree for the festival—they’ll compensate and tear out the stump etc etc and it wouldn’t cost Mackenzie a thing. It would be a service to the town blah blah blah  
MacKenzie shuts him down immediately of course and tells the mayors son to “Fuck off my lawn you cunt”  
Or something like that idk 😂  
We need something explosive tho to gain Will and Joe’s attention 🤔

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Ok floating this tentatively -- what if Will is a widower with young children  
Not yet in a relationship with anyone  
Everyone comes to his house to help with the girls and keep him from being depressed  
All ships are teased, he has _moments_ with all of them

 **butler is boo:** 👀👀👀  
Oooooooooo

 **jondalar is best boy:** Erinmore pulls up in some over the top car and one of them notices it and is like ???? So they watch a bit to see what happened and witness the commotion?

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** YES

 **butler is boo:** OMG YES TO BOTH  
Wow this is gaining traction I really like it 😂 I’m giggling so muuuuuch

 **jondalar is best boy:** GOOD  
Okay so I totally _love_ the widowed Scho idea and everyone all helping. Joe never lets Tom go over by himself ~~because the competition~~ he doesn't trust Tom with children

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** YES

 **butler is boo:** (A secret competition over Will omg)

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** (Will was Joe's friend, first, but then Tom went and STOLE HIM)

 **butler is boo:** (And Ben comes along and well shit they have another competitor for Will’s attention)

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** (YES)  
(He's a neighbor)  
(Been there since Will and his wife moved there)

 **butler is boo:** (Was there when Ellie passed)

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Tom notices the car first  
he's trying to keep Callie from eating a bug she found in the snow  
"Callie, no," he says firmly, pulling the now-misshapen . . . grasshopper? out of her tiny little toddler fist

 **butler is boo:** Omg Callie

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** "Ooooo, that car is pretty," Tenny says  
Tom looks up and sees -- oh my god, is that Erinmore? Why is he going to see Mackenzie?

 **butler is boo:** Tom: 👀 _interest piqued_  
No one bothers MacKenzie. No one. So why is the mayor's son there?

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Erinmore gets out and walks up the neat red-brick path to Mackenzie's ~~lair~~ house. Transfixed -- one does not simply _walk up to his front door_ \-- Erinmore does precisely that and knocks.

 **butler is boo:** (MacKenzie is like the town boogieman omg)

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** "Uncle Tom said no!" Tenny complains suddenly.  
Tom looks back at Callie, who has taken the opportunity of Tom's distraction to stuff the bug into her mouth.  
As he watches, she swallows. Then she smiles, all dimples and button nose and -- "Your father is going to kill me," Tom groans, spotting the leg stuck in her little teeth.

 **butler is boo:** **👏** 😂 **👏** 😂 **👏** 😂 **👏**

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Cue sibling spat!  
Joe and Will hear the noise and come out to help separate them  
the whole thing is arrested by Mackenzie and Erinmore's shouting match

 **butler is boo:** They all just stop and watch the proceedings across the street

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Erinmore spots the three grown men and the two children all watching from the other side of the street and puts on this very fake smile  
as he's heading back to his car: "Don't you worry, we'll have our Christmas Festival _as planned!"_ he calls, and drives away hurriedly  
(Will, meanwhile, is asking Callie about the bug experience. She adorably admits it wasn't that great and he gets her to promise not to do it anymore.)  
(She'll forget this promise but like, for the next day, she'll be good)

 **butler is boo:** Tom and Joe watch as Erinmore drives away, then focus on MacKenzie who is cursing up a storm in his yard (Will is still preoccupied with Callie). MacKenzie glares across the street at then and the Blakes hurriedly look away and pretend to be occupied with the children as well. Definitely don’t need Mackenzie’s wrath coming down on them.  
(Tenny also totally sells Tom out by saying “Uncle Tom let Callie eat a bug!”)

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** (I think she's more like "Uncle Tom told her no but then she ate it anyway! She is MEAN to Uncle Tom!" -- that's why the sibling spat started)  
(She likes Tom because she's started learning letters and Tom's name starts with a T like Tenny's)

 **butler is boo:** (A very good reason to like Tom)

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** (Also -- the girls call Tom and Joe "Uncle Tom" and "Uncle Joe" but they call Ben "Ben" bc they got most acquainted with him after their mother died and he was over practically every day. Will only ever called him Ben so that's how they learned to refer to him)  
(Also also Callie is 3 and Tenny is 5)

 **butler is boo:** (I fucking love the intricacies of their little family omg—I bet Ben’s not that out out by not being called uncle because he doesn’t exactly want to be their “uncle”. If he plays his cards right. **😏** )

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** (Lol who knows?? But I bet Tom is the one who taught the girls to call him and Joe 'Uncle' in the first place)

 **butler is boo:** Little do they know that this was only the beginning. Erinmore is a very stubborn man (and has not yet caught on to the fact that no one actually wants the historic tree chopped down) and will do his best to convince MacKenzie to let the tree go. It’s for a good cause.

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** The next time is when neither Tom nor Joe are around  
It's late, and Ben is over for dinner

 **butler is boo:** 👀👀👀  
He comes over a couple of times a week to help Will with the kids and to help cook dinner

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** This time, he brought over a lasagna to bake in Will's oven while they chat and have a glass of wine while the girls play.  
the lasagna has fifteen minutes to go when they spot some headlights pulling up outside.

 **butler is boo:** Ben is definitely curious because the lights are pulling in to Mackenzie’s place and, this late at night, MacKenzie is already home, so who in the world be coming to see that crotchety bastard?

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** "Who on earth would visit _this_ late?" he asks out loud.  
Will looks up from the dishes in the sink, vaguely alarmed. "Who, me?"  
"No, Mackenzie," Ben says, squinting outside. "Damn -- darned if I can see, though."  
"Hepburn's already there," Will says with a frown. Realisation dawns over his face. "It's not Erinmore again?"

 **butler is boo:** Now Ben’s _definitely_ curious about _Erinmore_ of all people visiting Mackenzie

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** The car drives off in a hurry after another 30 seconds and Will tells Ben about what happened the other day  
Ben is initially horrified and then _deeply,_ blackly amused  
Ben is a writer, he writes for a couple of magazines and also writes novels  
he starts dramatizing it all out loud, getting progressively funnier  
and winds up creating a fake blog at Will's kitchen table while Will does the cleanup

 **butler is boo:** (Omg I can only imagine it blows up with the locals—the hilarity that is the misguided feud between the mayors son and the local grouchy hermit. Over a _tree_ )  
Ben makes it out to be a lot more dramatic than it actually is which is hilarious

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** ^^^^^

_[brief brainstorming period of Will with his head in Ben's lap post-dinner[redacted](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28164066/chapters/69195195)]_

**Lt. Richards is bae:** \--ANYWAY, back to Hallmark AU  
Literally two days later, Will spots Ben and Hepburn deep in conference over Mackenzie's split-rail fence

 **butler is boo:** Ben is totally fishing for information

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Hepburn is tickled pink by the blog  
he gives the information willingly  
Wednesday after _that,_ all six of them come home after a celebratory lunch  
Tenny's kindergarten class had their little holiday play and all of them went to see  
Tenny was, like, idk. The menorah

 **butler is boo:** (That is just too fucking adorable—her dad and all of her favorite uncles there to see her 🥰🥰🥰🥰)

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** she liked it because her costume was a lot of cool symbols and she got to ~~pretend to be on fire~~ hold the fake candles

 **butler is boo:** What...what play is this? 😂

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** idk, generic ChrismaHanuKwanzikkah  
some vaguely-inclusive non-denominational thing

 **butler is boo:** That she did _absolutely wonderfully_ in!

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** ^^^^^  
she's absolutely beaming. AND she got to ride home with Uncle Tom and Uncle Joe!

 **butler is boo:** Such an exciting day!  
They get home, though, and Tom and Joe immediately notice the gaudy car pulled up at Mackenzie’s house

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** even moreso, they notice Mackenzie on his lawn with a _huge freaking firefighter's axe_ in his hands  
he's standing ramrod straight and looks ready to murder

 **butler is boo:** YESSSSSSSS  
I NEED GRUMPY MACKENZIE CHASING ERINMORE OFF HIS LAWN

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** ^^^  
Erinmore looks ready to shit himself  
but he's still trying!  
\--Ben, by the by, is shamelessly rubbernecking

 **butler is boo:** **👏** 😂

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Will is standing next to him with Callie on his hip, bemused

 **butler is boo:** (I have a feeling Will isn’t as invested in the proceedings as the other three but he just goes along with it because they all seem to be enjoying it)

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** (Imagining Schofield holding his daughters is literally making me feel faint)  
(If I randomly disappear, it's bc I'll have expired from cuteness overload)

 **butler is boo:** (I STAN DAD-WILL FOREVER)  
(I will completely understand cause I’ll be there with you 😂)  
(Will with his daughters in general have me like 🤤❤️)

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Tom and Ben are trading quips under their breath  
Erinmore stiffens up and is like "We'll have that tree! The town _demands_ it!"  
Mackenzie replies with language so foul Will covers Callie's ears. Tom whistles in appreciation and Joe makes a shocked noise and says to Tenny hastily "let's get you your ice cream, yeah?" and whisks her into the house  
Erinmore is like "MACKENZIE! THERE ARE CHILDREN PRESENT!"

 **butler is boo:** (The town is most certainly _not_ demanding it but he can’t seem to grasp sarcasm)  
They hurry the children in but Ben and Tom just stand outside enjoying the show

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** P much lol  
Will calls out "Leave my children out of this, Erinmore" and follows Joe  
(I am suddenly convinced Erinmore's name is either George or Geoffry)

 **butler is boo:** I am laughing so fucking hard omg  
I have actually never thought of his first name 🤔

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Me neither! But there it is  
Ben and Tom come in after a bit and tell them what else happened  
namely that it devolved into name-calling and other silly insults

 **butler is boo:** Even Erinmore stooped to Mackenzie’s level and started name calling  
They saw Hepburn watching from the window

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** and once Ben and Tom casually sort of made it known they were on Mackenzie's side (Ben: "I've got a crowbar in my garage if you need an extra sword, Ed." Mackenzie: "I NEVER ASKED FOR IT ASSHOLE!" Ben: "that's why I'm offering, but I can call Adrian instead"), Erinmore decided withdrawal was the better part of valour

 **butler is boo:** OMFG BEN 😂😂😂😂

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Mackenzie hates everyone, but some he hates less than others. Ben and Will are neighbors and, therefor, in that category

 **butler is boo:** (I have a feeling he has no ill will towards the Schofields—and Richards is....fine. The Blakes though....)

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** (He tolerates them with reservations)  
(They're always over to help the Schofields, after all)

 **butler is boo:** (And the Schofields are a good family. They don’t bother him and leave him to his peace.)

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** (He doesn't like kids but Will has always been straightforward, and Adrian likes the girls, so w/e)  
(It works out more or less)  
So after this drama, Ben & Tom come up with a thousand new ideas for the blog  
the blog is quickly gaining readership

 **butler is boo:** Everyone _loves_ it—nothing really happens in their little town and Ben and Tom have dramatized it so much that everyone is eating it up!

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Things come to a head when Erinmore shows up the next day with Gordon and Sanders

 **butler is boo:** 👀👀👀

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Ben is outside almost as soon as they get out  
Mackenzie's on shift at the Fire Department and not at home 

**butler is boo:**

**Lt. Richards is bae:** Ben goes over and talks with them casually as a flatbed truck shows up with two more guys

 **butler is boo:**   
Oh Erinmore you are walking a _fine_ line

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Will is watching with mild horror. Hastily, he tells Tenny to mind her sister for a few minutes and throws on his coat and joins Ben  
"Mackenzie is going to set fire to Town Hall if you do this, you know" Ben is saying to Erinmore  
"Really, Erinmore, it's a city landmark," Will adds. "We don't _want_ it cut down for the festival!"

 **butler is boo:** ☝️☝️☝️☝️

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** "The mayor loves the idea," Erinmore says firmly. "Everyone is _excited_ about this year's festival, it's going to be the best one yet!"  
Meanwhile, the men are pulling out saws and shit  
they're not a professional crew in the _slightest_

 **butler is boo:** Which is totally illegal

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** And then. And _then.  
_ Sirens split the air.  
🚒

 **butler is boo:** 🙌🙌🙌🙌

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** The fire truck barrels up the road with full lights and full klaxons and Mackenzie at the wheel, absolutely apoplectic with rage.

 **butler is boo:** **😏**  
He totally got a tip on what Erinmore was planning!

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** "How did he _know?!_ " Erinmore says, angrily.  
Mackenzie gets out and stalks over to them in high dudgeon. _"What is going on."  
_ "Oh, just in time!" Ben says cheerfully. "Yes, I thought I spotted some smoke coming from your roof, Ed. No idea why Erinmore showed up, though."

 **butler is boo:** **👏** 😭  
BEN SAVES THE DAY OMG

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Mackenzie looks at the flatbed and the saws and the men with Erinmore, who are looking shiftier and shiftier.  
He does that thing where he looks like a dragon, about to absolutely lose his shit.  
But then he _smiles._  
(It shows all his teeth.)

 **butler is boo:** 😳

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** "Out for a spot of logging, are we?" he says. "Can I see your permits, gentlemen?"

 **butler is boo:** **😏** fuck yeah.

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** tl;dr: Will has to get back to make sure the girls are all right  
Mackenzie insists on escorting Erinmore all the way back to Town Hall when Erinmore claims the permits are there  
(He trundles behind Erinmore's car with his sirens on the whole way)

 **butler is boo:** 😂😂😂😂  
Erinmore is now the one that’s positively livid

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Especially since the MAYOR comes out to see what's going on

 **butler is boo:** There are definitely no permits

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** and in short order the whole thing comes out

 **butler is boo:** And the mayor _is not happy_

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** The mayor takes Mackenzie and Erinmore into his office to discuss things privately! Mackenzie comes out satisfied and Erinmore is very, very white.

 **butler is boo:** MacKenzie totally looks like the cat who caught the canary

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Tom and Ben write up the whole thing  
and their last blog post states that it was all a work of fiction, so that they aren't sued for libel  
but the townspeople know **😏**  
Ben invites everyone involved over to dinner! (Except Erinmore.)  
Joe and Will help him host.  
Hepburn and Mackenzie have a lovely time, even though Mackenzie has to censor half the things he'd normally say

 **butler is boo:** 👀👀👀👀

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** ~~and then invites them all to decorate the tree with things like popcorn strings and Idk whatever other biodegradable/oldtimey decorations they come up with~~  
That's too sappy. I think the girls ask if they can decorate it and he agrees grudgingly  
(after Hepburn gives him _a look_ )

 **butler is boo:** (God Hepburn has him wrapped around his finger 😂)

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** 🤔  
Movie ends with Will's romantic future still indeterminate

 **butler is boo:** Oh obviously. No need for anything romantically grand  
He’s got his family 🥰 he’s happy

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** and/or we need to work out how to tease more Tom/Will and Joe/Will

 **butler is boo:** 🤔  
Honestly I’m leaning more towards Joe/Will if we decide to tease it

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** I feel like Tom is enchanted by the children rather than their father  
Like he started doing this to help Will out but now he just loves being their uncle

 **butler is boo:** _Yessssssss_  
And he’s such a good uncle 😭

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** Joe . . . hmmmmmm  
Joe is the one who picks up Tenny from school and takes her home  
he's at the mayor's office like you are, so he's off work at like? 1?  
starts early, finishes early, is there in time to pick her up!  
hangs out with Will for lunch  
He stays the days that Ben doesn't for dinner  
Will works from home but I'm not sure what he does, yet  
freelance website design? idk

 **butler is boo:** That honestly was what I was going to suggest  
Or even IT work

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** he's getting by on that and whatever his parents insist on helping him out with!  
But Joe's over with him a lot, the spare bedroom is sort of unofficially his

 **butler is boo:** _yesssssssss_  
And Joe was giving him time after Ellie—no way was he going to try anything after that for quite a while, no matter his feelings

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** somewhere in this story, there's a breakfast scene where Joe is helping with breakfast and being all sleepy on the weekend  
It's v endearing and there to tease with how comfortable they are with each other!  
(Ultra ship tease: when Ben comes over for dinner while Joe's over and all three of them play Candyland for the 5 millionth time with the girls)  
(Callie alternates between Ben & Joe's laps depending on who is winning at the time and Tenny sits in Will's)

 **butler is boo:** Ugh that is such a warm scene I feel so fuzzy  
🥰🥰🥰

 **Lt. Richards is bae:** ☝️🥰💗  
Anyway WOW that was a much more entertaining Hallmark AU than I thought it would be!

 **butler is boo:** RIGHT  
RIIIIIIGHT??????

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This LITERALLY started from nothing and turned into something _so much better!_
> 
> Chapter 2 is a short drabble of Richfield fluff expanding on the couch cuddling mentioned midway through the fic bc I'm Richfield trash, sorry not sorry.


	2. bonus Richfield fluff

**January**

Every once in a while, Ben is able to persuade Will to put up his feet for a while and rest like this. Never while the girls are still up -- they would never let Will have any peace, anyway -- but after they are in bed. Later in the evening.

The absolute best part, from Will's perspective, is Ben's hands. They are always so gentle when Will has his head in Ben's lap; they comb through Will's hair, and cradle his head, and even -- when Ben thinks Will has fallen asleep -- occasionally trace his features, feather-light: his brow, his nose, his cheeks, his lips, his throat.

There is something in Will that responds to those touches, something that grows a little more each time it happens. It is tenderness that Will did not expect to find, not again, or at least not for many more years.

Tonight, Will closes his eyes and listens as Ben talks, low, about something. One of his hands is occupied with his wine glass, but the other cups Will's jaw almost absently; Ben's thumb curls reassuringly against his cheek.

Will gives it a long, long moment with his eyes closed. A few minutes, certainly, enough to make the relaxation in his body seem believable. When he judges the time is right, Will sighs a little and tips his face towards Ben, leaning into the warmth of his belly. Ben pauses, then finishes his sentence and lets the rest trail into silence.

\--Will must doze off in truth, though, because he wakens to Ben shaking him gently, telling him so.

Will rubs his eyes. "I should just take you with me to bed," he says honestly. "You're that comforting, I guess."

Ben's interest is well hidden, Will can give him that. "Some other time, perhaps," he replies with a smile. "Go on, you -- I'll let myself out."

\--::O::--

**March**

This time, Will doesn't wait for a plausible moment. As soon as Ben coaxes him to lie down, Will settles himself so that his head rests against Ben's belly, too. Will notices with a sneaking sort of delight how Ben twitches minutely, in more ways than one, when Will noses at it.

"Getting comfortable, hmm?" Ben asks dryly.

"You still won't let me take you to bed," Will replies, feeling drowsiness settle in him already. "Best take advantage of you while I have you here."

Ben's hand settles on his neck, thumb tracing the space beneath his jaw. "I don't let just anyone take me to bed, you know," he replies casually. His touch is gentle, loving.

Will makes an interrogative noise in lieu of answering with words. He sighs with pleasure as Ben traces his skin.

"Well I need a goodnight kiss, first," Ben explains, mild affront in his voice. "How else do I know it's a promise?"

Will opens one eye. Ben looks very odd from this angle. "A kiss?"

"All the fairy tale promises are sealed with a kiss," Ben says with absolute sincerity.

"Oh," says Will thoughtfully. He props himself back up on his elbow, mindful of Ben's leg. "Well, in that case . . ."

He leans in. There is the briefest moment where he waits, just an inch between them, to see if Ben pulls away; but Ben just watches him, eager.

It is a nice kiss, if Will is any judge. Ben responds immediately, cupping Will's head with one hand to hold him in. He tastes pleasantly male and like himself, though Will can't recall tasting him before.

"How was that?" Will asks against his lips when they separate.

"Very nice," Ben murmurs, bring his other hand up, touch gentle on Will's jaw. This time he leans in first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _This is literally my favorite thing—it brings me such joy to see two full-grown men fight over a tree and their neighbors getting a free Hatfields and McCoys show 😂 And the Richfield is such a nice topping ~ W_


End file.
